On November 11, 2019, the Korea Communications Commission (“KCC”) and the Korea Information Society Development Institute announced the “Principles for User-Oriented Intelligent Information Society” (the “Principles”). The Principles were established based on input from thirteen major ICT businesses and six experts from academia. 

The Principles consist of seven key principles, as summarized below: 

1. Human-Oriented Services: Intelligent information services should be provided in a way to protect the basic rights, freedoms and dignity of all human beings.  

2. Transparency and Clarity: If an intelligent information service is expected to have a significant impact on the users, the service provider should prepare an easy-to-understand information package for the users, to the extent that such information does not undermine the provider’s legitimate interests. If such service infringes upon the basic human rights, the service provider should explain the main causes of the infringement.

3. Responsibility: All members of intelligent information society should recognize the shared responsibility to ensure upright function of intelligent information services and  the human-oriented value, and also should comply with all applicable laws and agreements. 

4. Safety: The service providers and users should establish and operate a self-regulating response system to prevent any damage that may be caused by intelligent information services.

5. Non-Discrimination: The providers should endeavor to minimize discrimination at all stages of development and use of the relevant algorithms.  

6. Participation: All members of intelligent information society should be able to  participate in the public process to establish the user policies. The responsible public agency should create a communication channel where the service providers and users can regularly and effectively exchange their opinions.   

7. Privacy and Data Governance: Personal information and privacy should be protected throughout the whole process of developing, providing and using intelligent information services.

Although the Principles are declaratory in nature without legally binding force, it is a meaningful first-step by the Korean regulatory authority to set forth the basic principles of “transparency and clarity,” “non-discrimination” and “privacy” in connection with the duties and responsibilities of intelligent service providers, in light of the recent global trending of issuing AI-related guidelines and recommendations by the international society, such as the EU and OECD.  The KCC explained that it plans to create a public-private council where all members of intelligent information society, including the users, businesses, experts and other international institutions, can express their opinions on a regular basis and to continue supplementing the Principles in line with the development in technology and services.